Friday, February 8, 2019

A theological discussion with my 5 year old granddaughter.

I had a conversation with Mercedes (5) yesterday about what happens after we die.

I think that the conversation started after she was standing on a step stool and was tall - I think she said something about "someday when her mom is little again" and went on to say something about that thought.

I said that we don't get little again. We keep growing until we're about 20, and that's the size we'll pretty much stay.

She said, "But what about after we die and are born again?"

I told her that some people believe that when we die we are born again, and that is called "reincarnation," I said that other people like to believe in heaven where our pets that die and our family who dies all go to heaven to live with Jesus (God.)

I said that I like to believe in heaven, but I don't know exactly how things will be because I've never died before, and people who have died can't tell us what it's like.

I said that maybe we're both right and we get to choose.

She said, "Or maybe I'm right and you're wrong. Or maybe you're right and I'm wrong." And she wasn't in the least bugged that we could have a different opinion - I stuck to my thought that "maybe we're both right."

I told Hayley & Josh about that conversation, and Hayley brought it up to Mercedes:

"I just asked her about your conversation. She told me 'I believe people come back as babies and start over and grandma mema thinks we die and go to heaven.' I said, 'That’s really interesting and that I’m not sure what happens after we die.' She said, 'I’ll just have to ask dad, he’s a really smart guy, I’m a really smart girl but dad is really smart too!'”

How I wish all religious conversations could end as well as this one. Both of us are happy with what the other thinks, we kept what we believed, and nothing but love happened as we discussed it. ☮ Peace.
♥ Melody